INNER CRAZY
by Ballyuk
Summary: Clark's temporary mind-reading ability proves to be a lot more illuminating than what we saw in 9x04 (Echo).
1. Another voice?

Author's Note: I do not own the characters. I am using much of the material from the actual episode for context, so due credit goes to writer Bryan Q. Miller and director Wayne Rose. I _really_ hope you guys don't mind! Also, I've tried to clearly differentiate between the characters' normal inner thoughts and the ones that Clark can 'hear'.

* * *

 **INNER CRAZY.**

* * *

 **Another voice?**

 _Rhhhmmmhmmmhmm._

The sound swirled inside his head, seemingly ricocheting around his skull, never pausing to offer any clarity never mind rhyme or reason. All the noises he was familiar with after a rescue had been dulled, replaced by a murmur accompanied by tinnitus. The only times he'd felt like this were when having seven shades of who knows what beaten out of him by first Titan, then Doomsday. He was disorientated. Something had gone very wrong during the rescue of the hostages at the warehouse, but he didn't have time to check things out and see who might be behind the attempted bombing. Everybody was safe and accounted for, and he had to gather his wits and get out of there before being seen. He made his way over to a disused phone booth on the other side of the warehouse.

A quick change into his workday attire and nobody would question the presence of a Daily Planet reporter on the scene. Police officers, EMTs, firefighters - all were busy tending to the situation. Sirens blared intermittently and orders were being barked out to the various trained personnel milling about. An investigation into this morning's events was already well underway. If anyone _had_ asked him any questions, he wasn't sure he would hear them clearly because the ringing in his ears had yet to subside, and it had now brought on a headache. Adjusting his tie and gingerly touching his head, Clark stepped out of the booth intending to make his way over to the EMTs and established what was going on. While on site, he might as well make himself useful in his by-day persona.

The piercing screech of the hastily slowing car brought him back into the present. The vehicle had come to a stop barely a few feet away from him, and the driver evidently wasn't too bothered about that. She had a story to sniff out, and nothing was going to get in her way.

"Clark, did I miss him?" asked Lois, tossing her sunglasses aside and grabbing her notepad as she got out of the car.

 _Gee, thanks for your concern, Lois. It's not like you didn't nearly run me over just now._

"If by 'him' you mean me, then barely," Clark griped, still wincing because of his aching head. He was a tad disappointed that Lois' focus was once again on tracking down the Blur.

 _He's right in front of you, you know!_

She ignored the sarcasm and skipped right by him, the light breeze sending the scent of something coconut-y to his nostrils.

 _Delicious!_

"Not you," Lois clarified, forging on ahead in determined fashion. "The Blur!"

Clark followed obediently behind her, struggling to maintain conversation as he totally checked her out. She was wearing a light grey skirt suit with a low-cut salmon-coloured blouse, and she'd tied her hair up into her regular workday ponytail. He eyed up the curvature of her ass, the sway of her hips and the way her ponytail bounced from side to side whenever she was on a mission.

 _God you're hot!_

"He was long gone by the time I got here," he explained. Sensing her disappointment, he added, "I was just trying to call you."

"From a pay phone?" Lois queried.

 _Excellent point. How do I answer that?_

"Apparently," he replied nervously.

Before he could get himself tongue-tied while thinking up an excuse, Lois had another query as she rounded the corner behind a black S.W.A.T. vehicle. Fortunately, this question was much easier for him to answer because he didn't actually need to answer it.

"How d'you get here so fast anyway? My guy at Met PD didn't leak this until a few minutes ago."

"Well, I can't be as fashionably late as Lois Lane," said Clark, somewhat pleased with himself. As Lois quickened her step, he didn't see that she'd also found that amusing.

Lois wanted to head towards the part of the factory where many of the emergency teams were funnelling in and out. The police had barricaded the entrance by parking two cars bumper to bumper, and instead of walking around them, Lois chose to climb over between the two bumpers. As she planted a heel on one bumper, her foot slipped and caused her to tumble backwards. Instinctively, she braced herself for the impact which never came. Instead, Clark had come to her rescue by catching her as she fell.

Now in his arms, her hand fell onto his bicep, gently caressing it as she looked down and sighed dreamily.

 _\- Hellooooo Sailor! -_

Clark was stunned. Had she actually said that out loud or was it a figment of his imagination? Did she actually find him hot too? He'd dreamt for weeks that she would finally open up to him about her feelings and let him know they were now on the same page. He'd fallen hopelessly in love with Lois when she went missing for three weeks not so long ago, and he couldn't bear to hurt her when she was infected by the zombie virus and hell-bent on killing him. They had never had a serious discussion over where they stood ever since the events at Chloe and Jimmy's wedding.

Back to the here and now, Lois was looking up at him strangely. It was a combination of 'you can put me down now' and maybe a hint of 'eww!' for good measure. He put her back on her feet, at which point she used her arms to lever herself over the parked cars. Clark's evident surprise had him asking her what he thought she'd just said.

"Nothing," she replied, and then joked that he should get his hearing checked. With a swish of her ponytail and the smile that made him melt, she sauntered off to where the action was.

He would have dismissed the moment as nothing, but he caught her uttering "Hot stuff!" and that threw him once more. Yet again, he hadn't actually seen her utter those words so he wasn't sure if he was just imagining it, but at the same time, a specific part of him was hoping she actually was. Nevertheless, this was downright bizarre. Had the explosion left his hearing on the fritz?

Watching Lois disappear into the building, he decided to stay outside in the morning sun. Maybe a few rays would fix the ringing in his ears and the headache that was only increasing in ferocity. Spotting a lone EMT tending to one of the hostages on a gurney, he headed over to see if they'd learned anything.

"Hi, Clark Kent, Daily Planet," he introduced himself to the EMT. "Any word on what went on here?"

The EMT was checking the patient for signs of trauma and concussion as he answered. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that there was an explosion but all the people inside managed to get out. They're still checking to see if anyone's missing but so far, everybody has been accounted for. No major injuries yet but people are in shock, as you can well imagine. One of them reckons the Blur saved them."

"The Blur?" asked Clark, feigning surprise.

"Yeah. They found his symbol burned into the ground right where the bomb went off."

"You don't think he...?"

"No. I'm pretty sure he got everyone out first. They were all found outside of the facility. All except one guy."

"Where is he now?" asked Clark, now a little alarmed.

The EMT adjusted the oxygen mask on the patient and asked him to breathe deeply, before returning to answer Clark's query.

"Some of the other guys were dealing with him. All I know is he was found alive but unconscious, and he'd been bound and gagged just like the others. They've taken him straight to the E.R. Maybe the person who got to him is the one behind all this," he theorised.

 _He was bound and gagged? The person who got to him? Wait, was the guy with the mask one of the hostages too? I don't like the sound of this._

"Was he hurt by the blast?" The query was tentative.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask one of those guys," replied the EMT, clearly busy. He nodded towards a group of EMTs about 30 feet away, who looked as though they were discussing how to tackle the situation.

"Right." Clark put his hand to his temple once more, the ringing sensation amplifying the intensity of the headache, exacerbated by his worries over the man the EMT was talking about. The action hadn't gone unnoticed by the EMT.

"Hey, you alright man?"

Clark smiled. "Fine. Just woke up this morning with a bit of a headache. Thanks."

With that, the EMT went back to tending to his patient so Clark moved on. This was a puzzle that needed to be solved as soon as possible since there was a live bomb involved. Whoever was behind this was ready to take casualties. Clark knew that Lois would be snooping around and asking questions about the explosion, but they needed to know why this particular factory had been targeted. He made a note to ask one of the managers about any disgruntled employees, deeming it to be a safe bet that whoever was behind this atrocity may well work there, or may have worked there in the past. Somehow, the man now at the hospital had the answer.

 _I guess I'd better go and find Lois._


	2. The missing piece

**The missing piece.**

Using his x-ray vision, Clark perused the archive room for files pertaining to the factory hit by the explosion earlier that morning. His headache had mercifully ebbed away upon arrival back at the Planet, and Lois was still on site hassling anybody present for a quote. It was only a small textile manufacturer but the archives could turn up a key piece of information that would help solve the mystery. Clark's mind was working overtime. Why would the bomber stick around in the middle of it all? When he had a chance, Clark would try and establish who the person with the mask really was. That guy was certain to know something.

Reading through one file, the factory turned out to be every bit as nondescript as it appeared from up close. There was nothing unusual and no records of malpractice, at least officially. To go by the accents he'd heard off one or two of the hostages as they were being treated, they were obviously foreign nationals. Whether they were in the country legally or not wasn't his concern. Clark presumed they were working low-paid jobs in passable conditions, and it wasn't unusual for these positions to be filled by people from elsewhere. He was about to close the file when his eyes fell upon an acquisition notice. The company had been bought by Queen Industries a little over three years ago.

 _Well that's a turn up!_

Oliver wasn't the sort to micro-manage his business empire, entrusting the smooth running of his companies to his lieutenants and preferring to spend his time enjoying a lavish lifestyle in public, and as the hooded vigilante Green Arrow in private. He'd hit a downward spiral once again recently, seeking solace at the bottom of a bottle or several. Did he know about what had happened this morning? Did he care? Clark took out his cell phone and called Oliver but sure enough, the blonde billionaire was not answering. Shaking his head, he made his way over to the elevator.

All of a sudden, his headache intensified once more. A sharp ringing in his ears made him wince, and then he heard a familiar voice. It was Lois again! There was no way he was imagining her saying these things because for one thing, they didn't make any sense. They were merely a collection of garbled thoughts being fired out at a mile a minute. He looked all over the empty elevator, trying to find the source of the voice.

 _\- God, I am dragging ass today! I should go for coffee...no, no, what I actually need is a B12 shot. I have to keep up with Clark. You know you gotta remember what the General always says - on certain days you wear certain underwear, and why today of all days, you decided to go with a tho- -_

The insane ramble was cut off by the ping as the doors opened. Clark was now staring straight ahead as Lois stood there, actually trying to pick her panties out of her ass through her tight skirt without anybody noticing. It was beyond weird. Lois hadn't been anywhere near him and yet he could clearly discern that she was having wedgie issues. This wasn't something he could conjure up as her end of the conversation never sounded like that in his mind. Not only that, but she was apparently wearing a thong. And now, she was right in front of him actually fumbling with her underwear as stealthily as possible. Could it be that he was hearing her thoughts?

 _No, that's ridiculous!_

Lois' irritation faded once she saw Clark in the elevator. She smiled widely, greeting him with her usual "Hey Smallville!" as she smoothed her skirt and joined him. Both were heading down to the bullpen. She obviously hadn't registered the look on his face as anything other than surprise at seeing her. She wasn't to know what was going round in his head at that moment, and that he was picturing her wearing a thong. For his part, Clark quickly broke out of his musings and noted the humour in the moment. Trying hard to keep the grin from breaking out on his face, he waited for her to press the button and let the elevator continue its journey down to the basement. When she was bugged by the smallest things, she was entertaining to watch. She kept taking little peeks at him so he realised he needed to say something.

"You're in a good mood today."

"Would be in an even better one if our black-clad hero in hiding would've stuck around long enough for a quote!" griped Lois. "We'd at least know what the hell happened back there."

It was clear that Lois was none the wiser for having been at the site for most of the morning. Either nobody could explain what had happened, or nobody was talking. Given Lois' 'forceful' nature, Clark was willing to bet on the latter. He already knew Lois had hoped the Blur would somehow talk to her and explain the situation and his involvement. She was waiting for an exclusive which wasn't forthcoming, and that had ticked her off. Still, Clark believed he could give her the Blur's perspective without her knowing _he_ was the Blur. Plus, it would make him look like a hotshot reporter who had unearthed all the facts. She might just be impressed by that. The bell pinged and they made their way over to the bullpen.

"What happened back there was that the Blur saved all those hostages, end of story."

"There's always more to the story, grasshopper. Word on the street is the bomber isn't the one who flipped the switch, it was on a timer," Lois began to explain what she'd learned.

Clark was surprised by that. In dealing with the hostage situation, was that something he'd missed? A chill ran through him as he recalled the man with the mask whom he had struck. Was that man actually another hostage after all? Following the explosion, he hadn't had a chance to check. If what Lois was saying was true, this was a worrying turn of events. It meant that the bomber had been watching the whole time and may even have seen him. Also, Clark had struck an innocent man.

"Why would the bomb be on a timer?"

"I don't know, I'm not a mind reader. Why would you take hostages and not make any demands?" countered Lois, sitting in her chair and fiddling with her phone.

Her attention was on her phone, the disappointment etched across her face. Clark suddenly got that ringing in his ears again.

 _\- No voicemails, no emails. Just be a big girl and get over the fact that the Blur downgraded you from confidant to sidekick to...nobody. -_

Clark leaned in, stunned and concerned. Her lips definitely hadn't moved and yet her voice was clear as day. She was bummed out that the Blur had stopped calling. What she'd confided to Clark during the recent zombie outbreak was true. Helping the Blur had given her a sense of purpose and a feeling of doing something far beyond anything she could personally benefit from. Talking to the Blur, she'd felt as though she knew him and understood him. She was right of course, only Clark couldn't tell her why. He had inadvertently left her feeling unloved and dispirited.

"Lois?"

She broke off from her melancholy, blinking and vamping up a reason for why she seemed so down in the dumps. It was clear that Clark had picked up on her sullen mood.

"Computer's frozen again."

He watched her turn to look behind her, and then caught the irritation of her inner voice. Oh she was mad alright, and now she had a target.

 _\- Doesn't help that that stupid intern Jeff took the last stupid maple doughnut from the stupid doughnut box! -_

She was giving Jeff the evil eye as he munched contentedly on the sweet sticky goodness in his hand. Clark caught it and decided immediately that she needed cheering up and also that it was for the best if the Daily Planet _didn't_ have to publish Jeff's obituary. Clark wondered if Lois' mood wasn't entirely based around the lack of hero in her life.

 _Maybe it's her time of the month. PMS? Nah, she's cranky at the best of times. Besides, would she wear a thong while going through her cycle? Why is that copy of Cosmo still in my bathroom?_

Just as quickly, he pushed those thoughts to the ether. He didn't need to be thinking about Lois' thong right now. Fortunately, the gift of super-speed gave him just the solution. In the blink of an eye, he was back beside Lois' desk while Jeff was busy staring at the space between his fingers that he was certain had been holding a delicious treat. He couldn't have imagined the doughnut because he was still chewing on his first bite. He looked at the floor around him for his phantom doughnut.

 _That's odd. It couldn't have just disappeared. And I was enjoying that too!_

"Here you go," said Clark to Lois, offering the doughnut and adding almost apologetically, "My eyes were bigger than my stomach this morning."

 _Wow, that was quick thinking! If she asks, I can say I'm feeling a bit run down._

Lois was busy conducting a debate in her own head. She was touched by his thoughtful gesture and the doughnut looked oh so tempting. But how would it look if she greedily snaffled it?

 _Man that looks yummy, and it's so sweet of Clark to give me his doughnut. When he's being generous and giving those puppy dog eyes, I have to make sure I'm in control. I can't let what happened last week happen again. I don't know how he does it. I'm pretty sure he has no idea what effect he's having either. But that doughnut! All that maple-y goodness is so wrong but so so right! Besides, one doughnut never hurt anybody. So what if I gain another pound, Smallville would never say anything about it anyway. Too sweet for his own good._

Clark blinked.

 _I know she'll take it. She eats more junk food than anybody I know but to look at her, you could never tell. She's got a body to die for._

Lois' started to verbalise her inner debate, her eyes flitting between the doughnut longingly and then Clark guiltily, mentally weighing up which of the two was the yummier. He was definitely not judging her, and for that she was grateful.

"No, no," she answered unconvincingly before giving in to temptation. "OK, I love you!"

Clark smiled, knowing he'd just cheered her up. He liked to do that even if she responded with a put-down. By now he realised that her put-downs were only banter. As she tucked into the sugary goodness, feeling it melting away on her tongue and reigniting her flagging morale, he couldn't help throw a little banter her way too. Such was their relationship, with plenty of give and take on both sides. It kept things interesting.

"A bump in blood sugar might help you from punching someone."

Lois smiled brightly at that. How well he knew her! She took the file from him as she ate, scanning through the contents.

"True! Gimme that. Uh...why whoever did what he did, he couldn't have picked a less interesting place to have done it. A run-of-the-mill textile factory?"

Now Clark knew for sure that Lois hadn't found the curious link. She'd overheard chatter about the 'how', that much was evident from the theory of the timer, but the 'why' remained elusive.

"Run-of-the-mill textile factory which is a subsidiary of Queen Industries," he explained, taking the file and turning to the copy of the acquisition notice. "You'd think that would be enough to get Oliver's attention."

 _\- That only matters if Ollie's sober enough to give a crap. -_

"Yeah, you might be right," Clark conceded. Oliver's frequent drinking binges hadn't gone unnoticed by his ex-girlfriend. His self-destructive tendencies and lack of focus had put Lois in harm's way only recently.

Lois looked up at him. "What did you say?"

"What?" Clark replied, startled.

"What?" she shrugged, unclear as to why he'd said what he'd said. She hadn't suggested anything that might elicit agreement from him.

Clark was now certain that he was hearing Lois' thoughts. Each time she thought something, it was accompanied by the light ringing sound in his ears. Yet again, she'd said something without moving her lips. Lois was no ventriloquist - the dummy would never get a word in edgeways for one thing. He had mistakenly replied to something she had pondered just now in her head, and he remembered the ringing in his ears as he'd 'heard' her.

This was beyond bizarre. He had access to Lois' inner thoughts for no reason he could think of, and it had all started after he'd taken care of the bomb at the factory. He'd 'heard' Lois thinking about him in a way he could never have expected, and he'd heard a lot more besides. It was still only morning, and he hadn't heard the inner voices of anybody else. Why? He decided he needed to discuss the matter with somebody. If he could get away from Lois' wild yet illuminating thought process for just a moment, he might be able to concentrate on the task at hand.

"I just need to chase up a lead. Be back in a minute."

With that, he stepped out of the bullpen and whipped out his phone, heading up the stairs and out of the building. Lois continued to devour her doughnut while reading the file. Jeff, baffled and bemused, was busy turning his desk upside down and inside out in search of his missing snack.

"Hello?" enquired the voice on the other line. Chloe hadn't been expecting a call from Clark.

"Chloe, are you busy right now?"

"Clark? Hey. No, I was just on my way out to grab a coffee," answered Chloe, puzzled.

"Great. Can you meet me at the coffee place? There's something I need to run by you."

"Uh oh, that sounds ominous. What's happened?"

"I don't know how, but I can hear Lois inside my head. Her thoughts, I mean," he explained cautiously.

"What, you mean like ESP?"

"That's what I'm not sure about. I needed to get away from her to figure this out."

"Alright Clark, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks Chloe."

He ended the call and headed for their agreed meeting point. Chloe had a knack for figuring things out before he did, and he could sure use her input before Lois drove him crazy. There was only so much a guy could take before he had to act. He wasn't quite sure _how_ he would act, and he wasn't at all sure how Lois would take it. The pragmatist in him would have to brace himself for the hit if and when it happened.

* * *

Outside the Metro Coffee Stop, Chloe was leaning against the wall by the door with iced cappuccino in hand. She'd been waiting patiently and had swigged half the contents when she spotted Clark. He looked every bit as flustered as he'd sounded over the phone. She was curious about this new ability he'd picked up. Mind reading was straight out of left field, even for someone of Clark's otherworldly persuasion.

"Chloe, thanks for meeting with me. I know you've been busy," said Clark as Chloe stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"What am I thinking right now?" Straight to the point.

"I have no clue. So far it's only been Lois," he shrugged.

Starting to walk down the street, Chloe gave her opinion based on the facts as Clark had presented them.

"OK, well, I know that my Wall of Weird is so three upgrades ago, but I've spent enough time digitising the strange and unexplained in my life to know that you don't just 'catch' ESP. So the question is: how do we know this isn't just your super-hearing on the fritz?"

Clark had to concede the point but there was one absolute fact he'd not yet mentioned. "As loud as Lois is, even she can't speak with her mouth closed."

 _Touché._

It was Chloe's turn to concede because Clark's point was indisputable. She could tell he was still at a loss as to what to do. "OK, well I'll see what I can dig up but seriously Clark, unless your warranty's expired, why don't you just check in with dear old dad?"

Clark was about to reply that speaking to Jor-el was something he'd considered, but the ringing in his ears kicked in. Lois was several blocks away, so how could he still be hearing her? He put his fingers to his temple and blinked to gather himself.

Chloe frowned. "You OK?"

"Yeah. I'd just like to bypass Lois' inside voice from here on out. I'm fine."

Chloe didn't look convinced and her response was ever so slightly hostile - very faint but definitely there in the background. For so many years, she had waited patiently for Clark to notice her. If only his ESP had kicked in during high school, maybe he'd have been aware of how she really felt much sooner. She could have been spared so much private angst and Clark could have been spared from yet more Lana drama. Also, the two of them were only gradually getting back to a normal friendship. Chloe still harboured some resentment towards Clark for refusing to use his Legion ring to go back and save Jimmy's life. "OK, I'll keep you posted."

Clark watched her leave, and as she disappeared around the corner, the ESP kicked in. The ringing was much more subtle and came with the absence of the headache, feeling far less invasive than previously. He was starting to hear the inner voices of the various people in the vicinity. A man late for work and worried about losing his job. A woman bemoaning her lot in life and wishing to get away. A shop girl hoping to make a good impression. An older woman berating herself for not listening when he friend had told her that her husband was playing away from home. There were countless voices all merging into a mish-mash of indistinct chatter. Clark had to go to the Fortress and speak to Jor-el to shed light on this turn of events.

Turning back to head the way he came, he accidentally bumped into a brunette woman leaving the coffee shop. Promptly apologising, he registered her smile as 'no harm done' and carried on walking. He definitely heard the woman's inner voice though.

 _\- I'd let him bump into me anytime! Tall, dark, handsome, and what a cute tushy! -_

Clark could not hide his blush as he quickened his step. This was a huge distraction now. After speaking to Jor-el, there was one other person who might be able to help. The first stop was the Fortress though so when he knew the coast was clear, Clark high tailed it to the Arctic.


	3. The cop shop

**The cop shop.**

"I know you have your doubts but I can assure you, Jor-el only means well."

Detective John Jones - a.k.a. J'onn J'onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter - was staring out of the window of his office down to the street below, observing the comings and goings to and from the precinct. He was dressed as he always was, right down to the leather jacket.

Clark stood in the office barely two steps from the closed door. He'd come to see his friend to seek advice and understanding, hoping to decipher Jor-el's cryptic musings. The insinuation was that Clark was judging things at face value too much, and it had led to a mistake. The thought of what this mistake could be had had Clark retracing his steps since the morning, and the only grey area he could discern was the masked man strapped to a chair. Lois had learned that the bomb was probably on a timer so the bomber might have got away long before the device exploded.

"Whenever I go to Jor-el for advice, I seem to end up asking more questions. Everything's a test," Clark groaned.

John smiled. "You say you are hearing people's inner thoughts? Maybe Jor-el simply wants you to understand that what people think and how they act can be two different things. It affects their decision making, and could impact upon your decision making too. I've learned that the human brain is instinctively geared towards self-preservation no matter how much it is under duress, or how much manipulation is applied."

"That doesn't explain why I could only hear Lois' voice up until about an hour ago. She wasn't involved with the explosion so I don't get why her voice came through loud and clear."

"From what I gather, loud and clear is her default setting," John deadpanned. "Can you tell what _I'm_ thinking?"

Clark shook his head, aware of how John had broken some of the tension. He appreciated the gesture. Seeing the empty pack of Oreos in the trash can, and the half-eaten pack amongst the stacks of files on the desk, the reply was obvious.

"Something to do with cookies."

John grinned. "Look Kal-el, Jor-el's right. I've told you before about not throwing yourself into situations blindly. You've got abilities far beyond anybody else but that doesn't mean you can just wade in without properly assessing the situation. Sure, somebody might get hurt because you were too late. There's always a price to pay, that's the unfortunate truth. You _can_ determine how much of a price that is, and who deserves to pay it, but you'd better be sure."

"I just wish this new gift wasn't so invasive. I'm learning things I didn't know."

"Miss Lane's mind is challenging I'm sure," said John. "I would look into the factory hit if I had the time, but we're swamped with work at the minute. You never get a day off working in Homicide. Where are you headed?"

"Lois and I will probably head off to the hospital after lunch to talk to some of the hostages. If they can shed some light on who might be behind this, I can get to work on finding the culprit."

"With a lot of cases like this, it's done to send a warning to the real target. Something to keep in mind."

John and Clark walked to the door, and Clark opened it to head back out.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice."

John nodded. "You'll figure it out soon enough. If you need me, you know where to find me."

The two shook hands and Clark made his exit. Just as he reached the main doors, his new ability kicked in. He could hear the impatience of the staff on the phones, the weariness of the officers going about their duty, and the complaints of those who'd been arrested and brought in to answer questions about an array of crimes and misdemeanours. One particular voice caught his attention. He was talking to somebody on the phone about his latest case. It sounded like a lawyer at the other end, given the spiel. Clark saw where the voice was coming from and approached just as the call ended.

"Danny!"

"Clark? Hey, what are you doing here?" said a surprised Officer Danny Turpin, turning around.

"I was in the area and came to speak with Detective Jones," Clark explained, shaking Danny's proffered hand.

"Hot lead?"

"Not quite. I'm investigating the factory explosion this morning."

"Yeah, I heard about that. It's not landed with Homicide though. Do you think someone was being targetted?"

"Right now, I'm still trying to find out who was behind it, and why."

"I remember how tenacious you are, Clark. You don't let things go until they can be put right. You opened my eyes to the big picture and I've never forgotten it," smiled Danny, genuinely glad that he'd been straightened out before he went down a dark path.

"I'm glad," said Clark. "Hey, how are your wife and son?"

"The wife is expecting in the next few months, and my boy's driving me crazy with the whole Green Arrow and Blur thing," laughed Danny. "He thinks they should team up to fight crime!"

 _He's right about that._

"You not so much, huh?"

"Honestly, I don't mind that he believes in these 'heroes' so much. Sometimes he gets his old man to team up too, so it's not all bad. I kinda like being Supercop! If my boy looks up to me and sees me as a hero, I can't ask for much more, you know? It's something to live up to. Besides, I remember what it was like to be a kid. I looked up to all those superhero types too, wanting to be just like them. Even though reality hits you in the face when you grow up in a place like Metropolis, it's nice to see a kid's perspective on life. Keeps you grounded and it gives you another pair of eyes."

Clark pondered that. Oddly, it tied in with what both Jor-el and John had told him today.

"Hey Clark, you never did answer me that one time."

"What?"

"I asked you if you had someone who makes it all worth it," Danny offered.

Clark for weeks now had been coming to the realisation that he did indeed have someone who made all his escapades as the Blur, and his other role as a mild-mannered reporter, worth it. She brought another set of eyes and provided another perspective, but she also made him believe that his was not to be a lonely existence. He felt most at peace and normal when he was with her and yet she knew nothing about his secret.

"I do," smiled Clark.

"Hey Danny, haul ass or you're getting all the rounds in tonight!" came an impatient shout from down the corridor. Evidently, one of his colleagues was waiting for him.

"She's found a good one. I hope she knows that. Hey listen, I'd better get going before the boys annihilate my paycheck. It was good seeing you again Clark."

"You too. Give my regards to the family."

Danny patted Clark on the shoulder warmly and walked off down the corridor and out of sight. Clark's progress out of the building was halted by another officer practically dragging a belligerent woman in heels into the building. She was wearing fishnets, a short red skirt, a black blouse with half the buttons undone to expose a red bra, and a leather jacket. Her blond hair was messy and her frankly vulgar coat of make-up had streaked down her face. She was bleeding from her lower lip, bedraggled and furious as she tottered along. She had a gravelly voice, the result of a 40-a-day smoking habit. Clearly this was a lady of the night.

"Hey, take your hands off me!" she barked indignantly at the increasingly irritated cop, squirming to try and get out of his tight grasp. "I know my rights!"

"Well it won't hurt to refresh your memory," the cop answered. "Now mind the step."

As Clark stepped aside to let them come in, the woman found time to give him the once over, leering over her shoulder at Clark's retreating form.

 _\- My my, honey. I'd let you haul me in for questioning anytime. That is one cute tushy! -_

Of course, Clark had 'heard' all of that. Rolling his eyes, he made his way back to the Planet.

* * *

Lois headed into the copy room just to try and keep her mind occupied. The Blur opting for radio silence had really thrown her for a loop. She was analysing whether she had done something wrong, or something to make him shy away. He'd rescued her from the clutches of John Corben but since then, she had heard absolutely nothing from him. Clearly, he was still on hero patrol given that he'd saved the hostages and carried out a controlled explosion on the bomb at the factory, but she hadn't heard a peep out of him before, during or even after the recent zombie virus epidemic that had hit Metropolis. Had she scared him away? Lois was feeling thoroughly lousy and somewhat unloved. Making a few needless copies of filler articles would at least give her something else to while away the time. And now Clark was out following leads and making good progress as a reporter. She had a feeling she was being usurped.

Before she knew it, Clark had found her in the copy room. The last thing she needed was for him to attend her very own pity party. She pretended she hadn't noticed him following her, trying desperately to ignore the heady mix of cologne and something uniquely Clark that made her senses come alive. Evidently, she hadn't done a very good job of masking her bummed out mood because when Clark spoke up, it was to address precisely what was on her mind.

"Lois, what's with you today? Is it because the Blur hasn't been in touch?"

 _\- How could you tell? -_

"What? No, of course not!" she replied defensively. "I mean, I would rather he called but I guess he's a little busy. After all, if it isn't one thing, it's another. You've heard that police scanner. There's always something to keep the Blur busy around here. Maybe he needs some downtime too. I don't know, maybe he could use a vacation."

Clark was again touched by how Lois was so considerate of the Blur's need to relax and unwind from time to time. He couldn't possibly be on patrol 24/7. He considered it uncanny how she could sense that heroes needed a life away from protecting people. Smiling behind her back and waiting until she had finished babbling, Clark spoke. "I know you want to know what happened at the factory but maybe he hasn't said anything because he doesn't know who did it. The only one who might know something is being treated at Met Gen."

Lois gathered up her copies and headed back out to her desk, carrying on the conversation as Clark followed her.

"I'm drawing a big fat blank. It feels like we're missing something important," sighed Lois, slumping down into her chair frowning.

She glanced over at Clark who had picked up the Queen Industries file once more. Seeing her downbeat expression, Clark felt he needed to cheer her up again. He was all out of doughnuts though. As he tidied up the paperwork on his desk, Lois began to fidget in her seat. The wedgie issues were back with a vengeance.

 _\- Damn this thong! If I wasn't wearing this skirt, I'd toss them in the trash and go commando like last week. -_

Clark fumbled the papers in his hands all over the floor, staggered by that little nugget. Lois was too busy with her inner rant to notice.

 _\- Stupid Lois, stupid! How the hell did the elastic snap anyway? They were Victoria's Secret! I swear Clark just looked at me and PING! How come he has to have that effect on me now? It's a good job he's such a boy scout. He had no idea I was panty-less when we went to meet my source, thank God! -_

Clark almost choked on the air he was breathing. This was too much information! The only thing better than visualising Lois in a thong was visualising Lois going commando. The puppy dog eyes made an appearance, a combination of concern and surprise mixed with a dash of hope. Lois glanced up for a split second before averting her gaze as she began to inwardly panic.

 _\- Oh no, not the puppy dog eyes! Don't look at him Lois! Avert your eyes! Abort soldier, abort! -_

She'd crossed her forefingers together in her lap, out of view.

 _\- Yeah, like that'll work! It's not like he's a vampire about to suck on my neck. That'd be kinda nice though! -_

Clark 'heard' that last part just as he was imagining the exact same thing. It made his eyes bug out and he coughed involuntarily.

"You OK there Smallville?" asked Lois, her normal voice at odds with her inner conflict.

"Fine," he spluttered, hoping he wasn't turning red. "I feel a bit run down today, that's all."

 _That's not all and you know it!_

"Must be that bug that's going round huh?"

"Must be. Hey you know what? Maybe we should head over to Met Gen now and see if any of the hostages can shed some light on our bomber," suggested Clark.

Lois positively lit up at that suggestion. It would keep her mind occupied and away from the absent Blur, plus they might actually crack the case. Having something to focus on was better than moping about at the Planet.

"Good idea!" she replied gleefully, getting out of her chair and grabbing her things. "While we're there, I'm sure one of the nurses will be only too happy to check you out."

Clark rolled his eyes. Just then, his new ability kicked in and he heard more of what Lois would definitely not want him to hear.

 _\- And who can blame them. A cute tushy like that will open doors for you, Smallville! -_

He had to turn his back to her before his smirk became a full-on grin at that remark. He was inwardly delighted that Lois was so obviously into him, and having his back to her would draw her attention to said tushy. Just for good measure, he bent over to pick up the last of the pages he'd dropped, catching her sighing dreamily as she ogled with abandon. He could have a bit of fun with this new ability.


	4. The hospital shift

**The hospital shift.**

Lois pushed open the double doors to the emergency room, walking as determinedly as she had this morning at the site. There was an air of renewed purpose about her now, and Clark had to double his steps to avoid being left in her wake. He didn't care as it gave him another opportunity to check out her 'cute tushy' too. He noticed he wasn't the only one, spotting a couple of male doctors sneaking a glance. He didn't hear what they were thinking, but he did hear one of the female junior doctors.

 _\- Wow, who's that? I just wanna squeeze that cute little tushy of his. He might not be sick but he could sure use a physical! -_

Clark groaned inwardly. He had no idea his 'tushy' stirred up so much desire among the female populace of Metropolis. Had that always been a thing? The middle-aged black receptionist was eyeballing him like a cougar hunting for her next meal. Her inner voice had all the sass he presumed her regular voice might have.

 _\- Man, I would let my broke-ass husband go back to that ho of his, just for a slice of yo' fine ass! Baby, you got goin' on a whole helping of 'Mmm!' together with a side order of 'Lord have mercy'! -_

* * *

Lois conducted short interviews with a number of the hostages who'd been treated for various minor injuries. A few others had already been discharged and several others hadn't needed to come to hospital so were sent home. These interviews were not going well because the hostages had very little to tell. Lois' impatience was increasing and Clark had stood back, observing proceedings and only speaking up once or twice to clarify any relevant points.

It was now mid-afternoon and Lois was pining for coffee. She was even more desperate to nail her story and had briefed her contact at Met PD to keep her posted. She had yet to hear from him. And now the woman she was interviewing had clammed up.

The woman was possibly in her late 20s or early 30s and had the appearance of somebody who worked all hours to make ends meet. She had a sling on her right arm to protect her sprained wrist. According to her chart, she was otherwise OK physically but had been treated for shock following the obviously traumatic experience of being bound, gagged and sat next to a man wearing an explosive device. If she could hear Lois questioning her, she gave no outward signs of acknowledgment. She simply stared at the same spot on the wall. Maybe she didn't want to speak to reporters.

"Look, I know loose lips sink ships but tight ones don't do a hell of a lot of good either," pressed Lois, trying to cajole the poor woman into a statement. Yet again she drew a blank and could feel her frustration mount. "Listen Chatty Cathy, we just need one answer. You _were_ actually a hostage, right?"

Nothing.

"This one's getting us nowhere," grumbled Lois to herself, just loud enough to be heard as the woman simply sighed and continued to ignore Lois. Part of Lois' impatience stemmed from wanting to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. She hated hospitals.

Clark, who had been trying to think of another approach to get the woman to open up, suddenly got the 'in' he had been hoping for - the woman's inner thoughts. He stepped forward to listen closely.

 _\- Do not let them find out. They can't send me back. My baby needs me. -_

 _That_ was her big worry. She was probably an illegal immigrant who had a young child to support. She was afraid the authorities would get wind of her situation and deport her. Her baby had been born in the US so she believed the authorities might separate them and place the child in foster care. Clark knew he could reassure her by telling her they were not here to address her residency situation.

"It's OK, you can talk to us. We're not INS."

Lois looked at him baffled. Why would he bring something like that up?

The woman finally turned around. She spoke English in a foreign accent, sounding like she might be from Eastern Europe. "I am sorry. I saw...a man," she began.

Lois was shocked. Clark glanced at her and she began to take notes once more. He smiled at the woman softly to further reassure her. They might now get somewhere with their investigation. The woman continued to give her account of events as Lois scribbled away.

The next person to be interviewed was a man, who was sat at the end of his bed wearing a hospital gown. He had no physical injuries but had been treated for shock and complications arising from asthma. He was possibly in his 30s or even 40s and, to quote from the description of Steve Buscemi's character from the movie _Fargo_ , "kinda funny looking." He had a pencil moustache, receding hairline and a nervous disposition borne of very little in the way of a social life. He was also scattergun in his account of events.

As she jotted down what he was saying, Lois couldn't hide her scepticism. "OK, so let me get this straight. You're saying the guy who took you hostage was...short and fat but also, tall?"

"Uh yeah, _way_ taller than your boyfriend there," replied the man, pointing at Clark who was behind Lois and leaning against the window sill. "Um, and thin. Thin like a rail," he added, nodding.

Lois blanched and almost bugged out at the insinuation about her and Clark, while Clark straightened up, bemused by the man's constant flip-flopping. Short, fat, tall _and_ thin described nobody. Fortunately, Clark's new ability kicked in and enabled him to peg the man as an attention seeker.

 _\- This is so exciting. I wonder who'll talk to me next. The FBI? Maybe Interpol! -_

Clark turned to address the man, making sure he exuded an air of authority that demanded respect and honesty. The softly-softly approach simply would not do.

"It's clear that this is the most excitement you've had, probably ever. Now you can mislead us, but interfering with a police investigation to keep yourself in the limelight will only land you in jail. Is that understood?"

Lois was so amazed by that, she couldn't find her inner voice. She was immensely turned on by this new attitude from Clark. His deep voice was making her stomach do back flips. He was getting answers by filling the roles of both good cop and bad cop as the situation demanded, able to flick the switch at will. He was getting a handle on these people extremely quickly. The man knew he'd been busted. Looking sheepish and shrugging apologetically, he told them he hadn't seen anything. Lois had a tiny orgasm.

As they made their way out into the corridor, Lois' stomach rumbled loudly. She covered it with a cough and went on to explain what they should do next.

"Nice work in there, Smallville. That doofus was going to lead everyone on a wild goose chase. We need to put everyone's statements together and cross-check it against possible suspects."

"Right."

"But first, I need a coffee. I'm heading over to the cafeteria. Want anything?"

"Nah I'm good," Clark answered.

"Alright, suit yourself," replied Lois, walking off down the corridor.

There was one more person they needed to speak to but he was currently having surgery. It was the man with the bomb strapped to him, and Clark really needed to know what that man knew. Somehow, he was the key to the mystery. Approaching the reception desk, Clark enquired to the young receptionist about the injured man's medical chart. It was worth a shot.

"I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet," he said, showing his press pass.

"I'm sorry but patient records are confidential," said the woman, sorting through paperwork and not looking up.

"I know, but we're investigating the bombing this morning. Met PD are working on it and we are this close to identifying the would-be bomber based on statements given by the other hostages. Please?"

The receptionist looked up, and her mildly irritated glare gave way to stunned silence as she took in the sight of the man standing there, before gazing into his baby blues. Hell, if they worked on the tough exterior of Lois, getting this receptionist on board should be child's play, right?

 _\- Whoa! -_

"You know, I'm not supposed to give patients' records to reporters," she whispered in a flirty manner, stopping short of twirling her wavy blonde locks in her fingers.

"Maybe you could do me this one favour though?" he smiled back, hoping he was being persuasive enough.

The receptionist glanced around. Nobody else was within earshot.

"Alright, but you have to promise not to tell anybody."

"I promise."

 _\- Man, with a cute tushy like that, you can promise me anything you want, Mr Kent! -_

With that, the receptionist went into the small room behind her to retrieve the relevant patient's records. Clark wasn't interested in the man's medical history, just about what injuries he was being treated for and who he was. He could do a cross-check on the Planet's databases to see if the man had anything that might connect him to the bomber. Clark shrugged off the receptionist's flirty demeanour and waited for Lois to return.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the receptionist was back with the patient's chart, handing it over to Clark. By now, a couple of other receptionists were behind the desk so the woman made herself appear as nonchalant as possible so as not to arouse suspicion.

 _\- I don't care how cute he is, I'd better not get fired for this. -_

Clark began to read the file, ignoring the receptionist's inner voice. A severe concussion, a few minor lacerations and a punctured lung. Clark's heart sank a little, knowing he was the one who'd caused these injuries. Lois' voice broke him out of his temporary funk as she'd returned from the cafeteria. She looked much happier now.

"I haven't seen you eat a thing all day," she stated, producing a paper bag. "Owed you from earlier, low blood sugar an' all."

She stood in front of him, grinning in that half-happy half-smug way. Curious but wary, he slowly opened the bag to peek inside. What he saw surprised him. It was a glazed maple doughnut just like the one he'd swiped for her earlier.

"Oh, look at this! Thanks for taking care of me," Clark replied, taking out the doughnut.

 _She's noticing when I've not eaten anything. I didn't realise she'd been paying such close attention._

Lois grabbed the doughnut off him. "Wait!" she exclaimed, before proceeding to take a big old bite. "Now we're even."

Clark had to smile. The doughnut he'd given her earlier had had a huge bite missing. Trust Lois to use that small detail to her advantage.

"What else did you find out?" she enquired, swiping the patient's chart off him and handing back the doughnut as they headed down the corridor.

"Mr Murphy, our mystery man's puppet, just got out of surgery. He's still unconscious."

Lois recognised that they weren't going to get anything out of Mr Murphy any time soon, and they'd exhausted all their other leads. She just wanted to go home and relax.

"Well, I've hit enough dead ends for today. Really no reason for us to keep hanging out here then, huh?" she suggested.

Clark felt a crushing disappointment. If nothing else, he _wanted_ to keep hanging out with her. The past 24 hours had been awfully illuminating, and it was all he could do to stop himself from sweeping Lois off her feet and finding the nearest empty room. She did have a point though - loitering around at the hospital wasn't going to bring anything new to light. Her Met PD contact still hadn't called to give her an update. It was best to simply call it a day.

"You're absolutely right," Clark answered unconvincingly. Lois appeared to be expecting more but he had nothing he could add. Her inner voice was silent at this very moment when he needed an angle. "Why don't we just call it a night?"

Lois nodded. "That's good. I have plans."

Outwardly, she seemed her usual confident self so Clark had no reason to believe she was making it up. Only now, he had access to the inner workings of Lois' mind so the reality was far more revealing than the portrayed image. Lois wasn't actually doing anything much.

 _\- Lifetime and some Chunky Monkey, or Rocky Road. Maybe both! -_

Clark took a chance. The worst that could happen was that she would shoot him down. She might well say no but she'd be more impressed that he was stepping up. That much was clear from the many thoughts of him she'd inadvertently revealed already.

"Lois," Clark called out, making Lois turn back round. He still sounded nervous. "I-I was hoping that we could grab something to eat tonight, after we finish up. You know, y-you said yourself I hadn't eaten all day."

Lois picked up on the hopefulness in Clark's suggestion and could not be more surprised. He was obviously nervous yet prepared to take a bold step.

 _\- Is Clark Kent asking me out on a date? Like a 'date' date? -_

"I'm not saying we should go on a date..." Clark tried to clarify, stepping forward to make it clear there were to be no misunderstandings just in case she'd got the wrong idea. He was chickening out at the last minute and had muddled things.

 _\- Oh! -_

Lois' thoughts and even her face conveyed massive disappointment, and he was now absolutely sure she had wanted to be asked out. He had to fix this, and luckily he could edit his responses based on Lois' inner thoughts. It was sneaky and he rebuked himself for taking advantage of the situation but if the end result was a night out with Lois, he was plenty happy enough with that. It was the first tentative step towards something more.

"...Just something like a date."

Lois smiled brightly, sounding relieved. "Sweet as that notion is Smallville, this is Metropolis on a Saturday night. We ain't getting in anywhere without a reservation."

Clark conceded the point, wishing he could again hear her thoughts. She wasn't repulsed by the idea of the two of them going out. Her thought process might help him suggest something they could do. Again, it was calculated and sneaky but the end result was foremost in his thoughts. On cue, Lois' brain whirred into action.

 _\- Except maybe the truck rally downtown! There's no way he'd a- -_

Clark was so uplifted, he simply blurted out that very suggestion. "We could probably still get tickets to the monster truck rally down at the Coliseum. It doesn't start for a few more hours."

You could have knocked Lois over with a feather. Here was Clark Kent asking her out, and suggesting they go and do the one thing she had been wanted to do for ages. Besides him of course. He had just made her year.

 _\- Shut up! -_

 _Yes, she's going for it!_

To make herself not look too eager, Lois accepted his offer and added a caveat just to ensure it was only 'like a date'. "I'll meet you there. Standard protocol - two cars at the beginning of the night, no drama at the end of it."

She sighed and turned away smiling, leaving Clark dumbstruck over what had just happened. Lois had agreed to go out with him but however 'like a date' tonight was going to be, Lois would be dictating what if anything might happen. He wouldn't be able to make a move on her unless she initiated it. He watched her leave through the double doors on the far side, again observing the way her hips swayed in that pencil skirt. It was now that he noticed he could tune into her thoughts whenever he felt the need instead of them reaching him whenever she had something on her mind. The ringing in his ears and the small headache no longer manifested themselves whenever this ability kicked in. Much as he wanted to, he chose to avoid listening in to Lois' take on what had just happened between them.

Lois reached her car and plopped behind the wheel, letting her inner teen out, giggling girlishly and beaming from ear to ear. The hottest guy in school had just asked her out.

 _'_ _Like' a date, yeah right! This is a date, girl. Monster trucks, a few beers and the cutest tushy in all of Kansas. Lois, you have hit the jackpot!_

She sighed contentedly, then started the engine and drove away. She needed to choose her outfit for tonight. Something that would get Clark hot under the collar.

* * *

Clark stayed behind at the hospital, knowing he could head back home anytime to get ready for his 'something like a date' later. Mr Murphy was lying in Intensive Care under heavy sedation so there was no way for him to give a statement. Clark suddenly had an idea. Now that he had his mind-reading ability under control, would it allow him to read the subconscious thoughts of a patient lying in a hospital bed? He tuned in to see if it would work. It did.

 _\- He forced me to do it. It wasn't me. He strapped the bomb on me. I just work there. He said toys weren't good enough. He wants to play a game. He said Queen will pay for what he's done to him. -_

Clark staggered back, shocked at the revelation. Mr Murphy's subconscious mind was processing the events of the morning, and it was clear that he was completely innocent and should not have ended up in the hospital. Murphy was recounting what he would tell the police once he was able to speak to them. The detail made the real culprit easily identifiable as there was nobody else who could fit the various descriptions Clark had gleaned from the other hostages. Winslow Schott - a short fat man with a penchant for making toys, a proclivity for playing dangerous games and a humongous grudge against one Oliver Queen.

"Toyman", Clark muttered under his breath before super-speeding away from the hospital.


	5. Ride on the high side

**Ride on the high side.**

Clark was in the Daily Planet archive room looking for the article on Winslow Schott from last year. Several attempts to contact Oliver had proved fruitless and he wondered if Oliver had changed numbers or maybe lost his phone. Such was the billionaire's recent self-destructive behaviour that Clark wouldn't put it past Oliver for him to be drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle or two, again. No, he had to keep trying. If need be, he could get Chloe and Watchtower involved. She had a knack for tracking people down when they'd fallen off the grid.

Clark took the copy of the paper as he left the archive room. The article included a photo of Schott that he could use when questioning the currently in Intensive Care Mr Murphy. The description in Murphy's subconscious mind was Toyman to a tee, and Clark believed he could quickly confirm his suspicions once Murphy was awake and able to speak. He could head back to Met Gen and speak to the other hostages being kept in overnight. Maybe they could confirm his suspicions too.

Clark hadn't been expecting Chloe to be at the Daily Planet. His new power kicked in, and the hostility behind Chloe's thoughts was in full evidence.

 _\- It's a good thing he can't hear what I'm thinking, or else... -_

Clark cut her off by addressing her directly upon seeing her standing by Lois' desk, looking distinctly unimpressed. If she was going to be cold and distant, he could reciprocate. They'd had their disagreements before, and their bond was strong enough to ride out this little bump in the road.

"Or else what, Chloe?"

Chloe wasn't the least bit surprised that he'd heard her but she was surprised to see him. Having received the voicemail from an irate Lois, she decided to tell him what for, striding over purposefully and getting all in his face. "Or else I would have to tell you that I don't want you breaking my cousin's heart. Clark, how was I supposed to react when I find out that you've been rifling through Lois' brain like you lost your keys in there?!"

Clark opened his mouth to retort but Chloe wasn't done yet. "You can't just trick someone into dating you."

Sensing she'd left a window for him to explain himself, he replied. "I didn't trick her into anything. And it's not a date."

"You didn't see her when she left my apartment Clark. Believe me, it was a date."

Clark scarcely had time to visualise how stunning Lois was looking all dressed up in whatever outfit she'd chosen, before Chloe carried on with her admonishment.

"And to add insult to injury, now you're standing her up?"

Clark visibly softened upon learning this, understanding that Lois would have spoken to Chloe already. The two of them discussed everything on a regular basis. He now felt guilty for not letting Lois know about his change of plans, and that guilt was amplified by knowing that Lois was clearly seeing their night out together as something more than two friends just hanging out. Only today, he'd seen first-hand how Lois' inner voice and her outward manner were somewhat conflicted. It was like the café chat situation all over again, with Lois verbally playing down the significance of the occasion but inside obviously hoping it was more than what was written on the label. With Lois, he was learning - often painfully so - that he had to read the subtext behind what she was telling him. If she was downplaying something as nothing, he had to play it back up as something again. Unlike with everything else, Lois was not a straight talker when it came to matters of _her_ heart.

"No, I asked her out _not_ on a date, before I knew our bomber was an innocent man."

He showed Chloe the newspaper article. She looked at it, the implications quickly working their way through her brain and back to her eyes. She was stunned. Clark wasn't being a jerk after all, he was looking at the bigger picture. She visibly softened just as Clark had.

"Toyman's back."

"Winslow Schott is responsible for the explosion at Oliver's building, that's why I didn't call Lois back. The last thing I need is her showing up here and following me into harm's way. Winslow's trying to smoke Oliver out of hiding. He's insane!" Clark explained.

Chloe agreed. "Yeah, he was insane enough _before_ Oliver framed him for Lex's murder."

Chloe's eyes darted from side to side as she tried to recall something she'd seen during her routine city-wide monitoring at Watchtower.

"If he's trying to track Oliver down, he won't have a hard time doing it tonight. Oliver's addressing his shareholders at your requisite red-carpet, black tie AOC gala."

Dealing with the repercussions of standing Lois up was the least of Clark's worries right now. The Toyman threat still presented a danger to the public. Schott had had no issue with wiping out most of the board members of Queen Industries and LuthorCorp in a bid to get revenge on Oliver, and he was prepared to wipe out the employees of a Queen Industries subsidiary to get his message across, so it stood to reason that killing shareholders of the company was of no consequence to Schott. He was prepared to go to any lengths in order to get his hands on Oliver Queen and make him suffer. Clark knew he had to get to the venue and try to either warn Oliver or snuff out the danger - maybe both.

"Alright, you head back to Watchtower. If Winslow strikes again, we need to move fast."

With that, Clark sped off out of the building. Chloe was dazed. Despite their currently frosty relationship, Clark still relied on her and Watchtower. He was also taking charge more readily. Maybe Jor-el's training really had removed Clark's self-doubt when it came to embracing his destiny. Removing his self-doubt when it came to her cousin was another matter altogether. She could only continue to advise Clark to tread carefully and be decisive either way. He should not string her along if his heart wasn't fully in it.

There was something else though. Oliver's life was in danger and the sense of trepidation coursing through her was something new. Somewhere along the way, Oliver had become extremely important to her, and it had little to do with his financing of the Watchtower operation that provided her with the tools to stay connected to the outside world. Without Watchtower and without Oliver, Chloe had become a virtual recluse.

 _\- I'm always on your side, Clark. -_

* * *

The stadium announcer was calling for the crowd to make some noise as the next monster truck was introduced. As the cheers went up, the driver was waving to the crowd during his parade lap, leaving plumes of dust in his considerable wake. Lois had taken her seat having purchased her ticket already, deciding that 10 minutes was long enough to wait before heading inside. That didn't stop her from anxiously looking around for signs of Clark. She really wanted him to show up and for them to have fun. This was to be a date in all but name, but if Clark was forward enough to show his affections, she was not going to protest. When she'd returned to work after her prolonged absence, she'd really missed having him sit opposite her. It always cheered her up to see him coming in to work. Not only that, but Clark had demonstrated a caring and heroic side when helping her stave off a hoard of bloodthirsty zombies at the Daily Planet. She knew she had succumbed to the very charms that she once relentlessly mocked him over. Coughing as the dust billowed around her section, she continued to keep an eye out for Clark. He was bound to love her outfit because it included plaid, she surmised in hope.

45 minutes, two missed calls three text messages to Clark, plus a voicemail to Chloe later, Lois was about ready to toss her phone over the side and into the arena where all the mayhem was currently ensuing. She huffed in irritation. Did Clark need to be kept on a leash? Her personal favourite trucker - who went by the name of Bone Dawg - was in the process of dismantling a succession of beat-up Chevys in his souped-up Ford. She'd never taken much of an interest in what vehicle he was driving. No, her secret fan worship was entirely due to the wink he'd given her while signing an autograph when she was in her early teens. Even though he did that with every pretty girl - young or otherwise - it made her feel special. Her father had taken his daughters to a couple of monster truck rallies when they were kids but this was the first she'd been to with friends. For years afterwards, Bone Dawg - a relatively ordinary looking part-time mechanic of solid build, above-average height, mussed brown hair and a short and slightly unruly beard - had been one of Lois' schoolgirl crushes. He had a rebellious streak that appealed to her. She had long since moved on from that phase and her dreams now featured a farmboy who was conspicuous by his absence.

 _Damn you, Smallville! You'd better not have stood me up again or so help you God!_

Lois' phoned beeped an incoming message. Hoping it was Clark finally explaining his whereabouts, her shoulders sagged when she saw it was just an email from an online newsgroup she subscribed to informing her that Queen Industries and LuthorCorp were hosting a press conference for shareholders this evening at the Ace of Clubs. With everything that had happened in recent months, including three weeks of missing memory, she hadn't given much thought to LuthorCorp activity and she tended not to be nosy when it came to Oliver's business affairs. He wasn't in the business of secret and highly unethical experiments, unlike one Lex Luthor. About to dismiss it, she realised that Clark had taken a particular interest in the activities of Queen Industries since the attack at the factory this morning. He had also been looking to make some headway as a reporter recently. If he had the same journalistic instincts Lois herself had - and he was a known adherent to her rules of reporting - he would look to use the opportunity to speak to Oliver and get his views on what had happened. Lois had no problem with blowing off a date because of a potential scoop but she would at least notify her date that it wasn't happening. Evidently, Clark didn't extend the same courtesy.

 _He's as bad as the Blur at keeping me up to date. Seriously, is there a warning sign tattooed on my forehead?_

Stealing a glance in the direction of the parking lot, her heart sank. Her car was somewhere in the middle of all that, and event organisers had set things up in such a way that anyone parked in the middle of the lot wasn't going to be going anywhere until long after the show was over. They'd have to while away the time spending more money at the overpriced concessions stands. Lois didn't fancy hanging around to watch power eating contests and she was in no mood to hail a cab back to the city on a Saturday night - drivers being prone to getting lost as well as charging extortionate fares. Fortunately, salvation lay ahead in the form of Bone Dawg's truck.

Bone Dawg had finished his stunts and was now pulling his mammoth truck into the holding pen beneath the grandstand just beside the section Lois currently found herself in. Exiting the vehicle, he was all smiles as he posed for photos and signed autographs for his adoring fans, and high-fiving the various members of the pit crew milling about. Bar a little grey around the temples, he hadn't changed at all. Lois quickly hatched a plan before leaving her seat to saunter over.

"Excuse me Mr Dawg, but can I get your autograph?" Lois called out in the sweetest voice she could muster.

Bone Dawg had finished talking with one his mechanics, turning round in the direction of the voice, ready to put on his cheerful persona. His words caught in his throat as he watched a beautiful leggy brunette walk over to him, beaming. She was wearing Daisy Dukes, a pair of well-worn cowboy boots and a red plaid shirt with cut-off sleeves and the bottom tied into a knot to reveal her slender midriff.

 _Hot dang!_

"Sure thing, beautiful," he eventually replied after finding his voice. Women often wanted him to sign their bra and he was hoping it would be the case here too. "And who should I make it out to?"

"Lois Lane," replied Lois. "Actually, I need a favour rather than an autograph."

"Oh," said Bone Dawg, obviously attracted to her. "Shoot."

Lois smiled. "I need a ride into town. See, my car is parked way back there, and my date didn't show up."

"Uh huh," replied Bone Dawg, sensing an opportunity with a new groupie, and questioning the sanity of the idiot who'd blown off a date with such a fine female specimen. "And what will I get in return?"

"Easy there, tiger, I ain't that kinda gal. I'm a reporter with the Daily Planet. I tell you what, you get me that ride back into town and I'll write a pro-Bone Dawg piece for the weekend edition. Getting your name in the paper has gotta be good for your sponsors, right?"

She could see him thinking it over. While not the ideal trade, it seemed a fair trade, and he was done for the night. He agreed.

"Great! There is one more stop we need to make on the way. I saw a strip mall on the way over here so we need to go there first."

"In that case, hop in!" smiled Bone Dawg.

Carefully navigating her body past the network of cross braces and roll bars to get into the painfully uncomfortable carbon fibre passenger seat as Bone Dawg looked on appreciatively, Lois' intention was to grab a cocktail dress from the women's clothing store before asking Bone Dawg to drop her off in the city. Amidst general chit-chat, it transpired that Bone Dawg was grateful to the Blur for catching a group of thieves who'd broken into his workshop at gunpoint one night in a bid to steal some expensive equipment. The scorched symbol calling card on the ground outside was the big giveaway. He was aware that Lois had written a few articles about the Blur for the Daily Planet, and he enquired as to whether she knew who the Blur was. She insisted she had absolutely no idea but that finding out was her big goal. Lois also promised to stay in touch regarding the article in a bid to keep him sweet. Maybe she'd score some VIP tickets to future rallies.

That's how it panned out. She quickly found a sparkly gold dress on the discount rack, together with a matching pair of heels. They weren't of the highest quality but the fit was just right and comfortable too. Eyeing herself in the mirror, Lois believed she still looked hot to trot although she needed to lose the country gal hair. Digging out her hairbrush, she smoothed out most of the curls, grateful that her naturally wavy hair had reappeared without too much fuss. At least that was one bonus to be had from this disastrous evening.

She purchased the items and told the store assistant that she would wear them, tossing her boots, shorts and shirt in the bag provided. Getting changed in Bone Dawg's truck wasn't an option, not to mention physically impossible. Clark's no-show had killed the impact of her country gal outfit and she didn't want to be reminded of that fact every time she looked at them so she would tossed them aside later. Even though she had some major farmboy butt to kick, she would at least look elegant while doing so.

Bone Dawg stared agog as he watched Lois clamber back into his truck in her new outfit, totally oblivious to the bag of her old clothes hitting him square in the face as she tossed it in before taking her seat.

 _Outstanding piece of ass!_

"OK, let's roll," she requested, and they set off.

"I thought you looked great in your other outfit Lois, but this one is just killer," stated an impressed Bone Dawg. "Where are we going anyway?"

"I have an impromptu assignment at the Ace of Clubs, and I don't think flannel meets dress code."

"I gotta say I can't believe some guy stood you up tonight. You should be havin' yourself a good ol' time. That knucklehead needs some sense beatin' into him!"

"Thanks but I got it covered," replied Lois, trying not to laugh. Bone Dawg was probably quite strong but no match for a tall, muscular, corn-fed Kansas farmboy. "When I see him again, I'll be sure to let him know."

"Well, be sure to also let him know that Bone Dawg thinks that is no way to treat a lady."

Lois smiled but didn't reply. She was steeling herself for a confrontation with Clark. Not before long, the truck - which had be given a free run as traffic moved aside and everybody stopped to look - made its way down to avenue leading to the front door of the building housing the Ace of Clubs. Lois would be making one hell of an entrance.

"OK pretty lady, end of the line."


	6. Over and out

**Over and out.**

Clark stood in his black suit in front of the mirror in the hallway, adjusting his tie. No matter what he did, fixing his tie straight was something he'd never quite managed to get the hang of. At work it wasn't too important but for formal occasions, he always needed the help of somebody else. His dad had helped him once or twice, even showing him how to tie the knot when he was a kid, and his mom was always double-checking to make sure everything was just so. One time, even Lex had lent a hand. Chloe, Lana, Lois - they'd all spent time fixing his tie for him.

Ah, Lois. His thoughts went back to Lois and the 'like a date' night out he was ruining. Chloe had even told him how Lois was dressed to impress. He hadn't even tried to call her because he knew that his excuse for blowing her off would never wash. She would see through any attempt to make up a story, and saying he was hoping to run into Oliver at tonight's event would no doubt make her mad because she'd believe he was jibbing their night out in favour of chasing a story about Queen Industries. She would also find a way to get in on the act, but tonight he needed her to stay away. It was the only way he could guarantee to keep her safe. He would have to figure out how to apologise and get in her good books later on.

"Trust me to end up in the doghouse when it wasn't even a real date," he bemoaned to himself, finally straightening the tie to his satisfaction.

A snort of derision from behind him broke him out of his mood. There looking at him with weary disappointment in his big brown eyes was Shelby. The dog was bemused that Clark would not be spending time with his other favourite person in the whole world.

"I know boy. I don't like doing this either, but I have to keep her out of harm's way. You understand that, right?"

Shelby barked grumpily. Without warning, Clark's new ability reared its head, causing him to blink in confusion. Now he was able to access Shelby's thoughts. _You've got to be kidding me!_

 _\- Woof woof rrruff grrrr! -_

"She's gonna be pretty mad, isn't she?" asked Clark, rolling his eyes at the new levels of ridiculousness this mind-reading ability was taking him to. He had no idea what Shelby had just thought but he could tell that his dog didn't like what was happening. Shelby barked to the affirmative.

"Oh come on. She'll forgive me though, right? I mean, I know how she feels about me. Even Lois can't stay mad at me forever," he reasoned to the dog.

Again, Clark became privy to Shelby's annoyed musings as the dog raised a brow.

 _\- Snort. -_

Shelby whimpered and raised a paw to his closed eyes. Clark could have sworn he was being face-palmed by his faithful friend. His dog was calling him an idiot! Clark feigned indignation.

"Hey! You're meant to be _my_ buddy, remember? We have to stick together!"

The ability kicked in once again.

 _\- Rrrruff grrrrrrr rrruff rrruff! -_

Clark hung his head in acknowledgment. Shelby was right. Lois was going to be _so_ mad, and Clark would have to pray that her feelings for him enabled her to be understanding and forgiving. It was going to take a lot more than a simple apology. Flowers? No, too sappy, plus Lois was not a flowers type of girl. Clark swore to think on it, but right now he had a pressing engagement over at the Ace of Clubs.

Shelby skulked away, his point having been made. Clark had his work cut out in righting this wrong.

"Don't worry boy. I'll fix this," reassured Clark, not believing the words himself. He looked again at his face in the mirror, frowning.

 _She's gonna kill me._

* * *

The wealthy elite among the Queen Industries shareholders had been descending upon the Ace of Clubs for the past hour with their significant others and plus-ones in tow. Tess had organised the event at short notice after becoming aware that shareholders were anxious over the company's slowly dwindling stock value and the continued absence of Oliver Queen from the boardroom. LuthorCorp stock had taken a hit too, but Tess had already moved to assure LuthorCorp investors that everything was coming along swimmingly. There was a huge project in the pipeline that she would announce in due course - one that would prove to be a game-changer. Tonight though was about Oliver staying sober enough to show his face and quieten the murmurings of discontent. Champagne, cocktails, cake and canapés had been generously laid on for everyone.

As guests lined up on the red carpet and limousines pulled into the parking lot, Clark whooshed in. He'd tried Oliver a few more times to no avail, and he didn't want to mention anything to Tess to avoid having to answer some difficult questions. His press pass was unlikely to gain him entry as the whole event was exclusive - no press allowed. The doorman would not allow Clark in unless he was on the guest list so he'd have to improvise. Firing up his new ability, he attempted to catch the list of names the doorman was reading. The man in front of him announced himself as Kirkpatrick.

Sure enough, the doorman read through his list of names for Kirkpatrick. This was a stroke of luck for Clark.

 _\- Let's see. Kendall...Kennair...ah there it is...Kirkpatrick... -_

The doorman ticked off the name and wished Mr Kirkpatrick a good evening as he made his way inside. Clark now had a last name he could use.

"Name?" asked the doorman, turning back to Clark.

"Kennair," Clark answered, trying to lie convincingly.

The doorman ticked off Kennair's name before asking Clark, "You have a plus-one tonight, Mr Kennair?"

Clark moved to reply but a sudden beam of light from behind him, a little bit of dust kicked up from the surface as tires screeched to a halt, and the low rumble of a powerful engine made him look over to where this light, heat and noise was coming from. He was face to face with a monster truck. _What in the world?_

Seeing the passenger door swing open, Clark stepped away from the doorman to see who'd made such a dramatic arrival, briefly worried that this was an elaborate and dangerous toy created by the master of elaborate and dangerous toys. Instead, what he saw leap down from the vehicle was a beautiful brunette woman in a gold dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the one person he'd been trying to keep from harm's way.

"Lois!" gasped Clark, taking in Lois' outfit. Chloe wasn't kidding. She looked gorgeous.

Lois scrunched her face at him irritably as she smoothed the creases in her dress, brushing off his evident surprise. "I can handle this, Smallville. You've already done enough tonight."

 _How did she find out about this event, and how did she end up here in a monster truck? Oh no, she was actually at the rally._

"What are you doing here?"

Lois took a breath in order to answer, and Clark 'heard' her thoughts as she eyed him up and down appreciatively.

 _\- Standing in the shadow of 6-and-a-half feet of handsome! -_

Clark hadn't even managed to smirk at Lois still finding time to drool over him despite being angry before Lois glared up at him, gritting her teeth as she steeled herself to take charge. He instinctively backed off.

 _\- No, Lois, he doesn't get off that easy. Kick his ass! -_

Clark's eyes went wide as he realised Lois was going to tear strips off him now. She was biting her lower lip as she contemplated how best to berate him. He watched her eyes narrow, making him gulp involuntarily. He could feel himself shrinking under that piercing stare. The fury was radiating off her in waves now. _Uh oh!_

The rant began with Lois keeping her voice low and tinged with menace. "Did you honestly think that stacked parking, not having a cocktail dress and being three steps behind you on your mystery man story was gonna stand in my way? Did you?"

She eyed him questioningly, not allowing him time to answer before she continued ranting a little louder. "Or, that you hid the fact that Oliver returned for the sake of an article? Clark, you can't get rid of me that easily! I have the internet on my phone."

Lois stepped past him to head towards the club's entrance, leaving Clark standing like a scolded child. He hastened to follow her.

"I can explain," he pleaded, meeting with short shrift.

"Oh, I know how the boy's club works. You wanted to scoop me on a story. Prose before hos."

"Now wait a second..."

Lois had turned her back, continuing to ignore his pleas before the doorman blocked her entry. She knew her name wasn't on any list. Sighing in resignation at her soon-to-be-doomed attempt at gaining entry, her inner voice rose up. Clark listened in.

 _\- How could you be so stupid, Lois? This was never about more than a story. Maybe it never will be. -_

Lois' was more disappointed in Clark for their failed date rather than about him chasing Oliver for his story. It was confirmation that he'd let her down, but there was still the matter of making sure that Winslow Schott wouldn't get to Oliver. Clark still needed Lois to be elsewhere. If that meant blowing her off once more, so be it. He wouldn't get a chance to say anything because Lois turned round with a fake smile plastered on her face and an exaggeratedly breezy demeanour.

"For your sake, there had better be an open bar because I _think_ that Bone Dawg still has my purse in his truck."

Fake laughing as though her life depended on it, Lois took 'Mr Kennair' arm in arm and led them both inside. Clark simply had to run with it. For now.

Inside the club, there were maybe a hundred or so guests milling about, engaged in idle chit-chat and awaiting the appearance of Oliver to address them. Both Lois and Clark immediately began scanning the room for Oliver's presence. She was there to make sure she wouldn't get scooped for a story, and Clark needed to seek out Oliver to warn him about the Toyman threat. Clark had no option but to try and get Lois to leave and it pained him inside. He had a chance with her and he was about to blow it big time without ever being able to explain why.

"Lois, I don't need your help on this one. I can do it on my own." Clark was looking in the opposite direction because he was feeling so conflicted, so he didn't catch the wounded look on her face as he said that.

Lois decided to put on a brave face, opting for nonchalance and the smug sense of superiority reminiscent of their early days of working together. She didn't want Clark to see that she was hurt by his remarks. Even so, she couldn't resist taking the opportunity to adjust his collar and tie just so she could touch him. "Maybe you'd like to think that you can, but we all know there's no way."

Having not seen her hurt look, Clark felt it necessary to re-emphasise that this was his headline. Ignoring the tingle he felt as her fingertips delicately slid down his neck, he insisted that she needn't stick around. He 'heard' her thoughts once more, even though she coached her features to mask her feelings.

 _\- Oh God, why would you let yourself get attached, Lois? You know better than that. They always leave. -_

Observing her closely, he was now very aware that he'd hurt her. Again, fate was finding a way to throw a spanner in the works. First it was Lana showing up unannounced at Chloe's wedding reception right when he wanted to act on his feelings. Then it was the café no-show because it was honestly too soon after his final break-up with Lana. Now it was the monster truck rally which Lois was treating like an actual date. On each occasion, the situation could not really be helped because from Lois' point of view, it was always him pulling away. How many more chances would she give him before deciding to move on?

Lois pretended she wasn't affected, deciding there and then that she would leave him to it. "You know what, maybe you're right. I'm gonna get some air, some _really_ _private_ air. I'm outta here. Good luck flying solo."

Smiling widely, Lois tightened Clark's tie all the way to make him grunt, before patting him on the shoulder and making her escape. He was left to handle the Oliver and Toyman situation.

* * *

"Taxi!" Lois called out as she hailed a cab, weary, frustrated and disappointed.

Bone Dawg had already departed in his monster truck, but not before handing Lois' belongings to the bemused doorman outside the club. He mentioned Lois by name - which the doorman noted was not on the list so she may have been a plus-one - until Bone Dawg's description of Lois brought a glint of recognition. He remembered the pretty brunette in the gold dress. Noticing her leaving the venue, he called out to her and handed over her belongings. Lois, though not surprised that Bone Dawg hadn't stuck around, was surprised that he'd been considerate enough to make sure she got her things back. At least she had enough money for cab fare, and her parking ticket was still there. Bone Dawg had earned that interview.

Sitting in the cab on her way back to the Coliseum to fetch her car, she looked inside her bag at the shorts she'd fashioned by cutting up a pair of jeans. Clark never even got to see her in the flannel shirt so she never got the chance to see his reaction. It was the reason she'd chosen to borrow his Crows jersey when she'd got drunk last year - she wanted to see Clark blushing at the sight of her in very little clothing. She sighed despondently.

 _So much for that idea._

She thought about how much she'd been looking forward to her date, only for Clark to let her down. It wasn't the first time and it made her wonder whether he would ever be reliable enough to start a relationship with. She _did_ know that there was no other guy who could send shivers down her spine when she touched him. Lois also knew that however mad she would get with him, his puppy dog look would break down her defences. He was simply too adorable when he was being genuinely sincere.

There was a carton of Rocky Road at home with her name on it, and that was a date that never failed. She smiled ruefully at how pathetic that was.

* * *

Clark stood leaning over the balcony on the Ace of Clubs terrace, taking in the view. Oliver was busy pickling his liver with Scotch but otherwise doing a lot better than earlier, and most of the guests had decided to leave when it became apparent that the evening had been cancelled on security grounds. The staff were all busy cleaning up.

In truth, he missed not having the ability to hear people's thoughts. It had been a real eye-opener in more ways than one and he thought it was a useful addition to his abilities. He could be more decisive going forward as well as making fewer rash decisions. Of all the people he'd 'heard' from today, it was Lois who had proved to be the most illuminating. Now he would have to apologise.

There was one other matter first. Thanks to Chloe's wizardry, the police had found and captured the real Winslow Schott, bringing him in for questioning. Clark had the story and he knew it would give his career a leg-up when he submitted it. The question was: could he submit the article and make Lois see that he wasn't trying to usurp her?


	7. By-lines and bygones

**By-lines and bygones.**

 _C'mon Lois, you can do this. It's just Clark. What am I saying? It's not 'just' Clark, it's CLARK. As much as you wanna kick his ass, the minute you see him, you'll forget all that._

"Yeah right!" Lois admonished herself as she sat at the lights. She was Lois Lane, she reminded herself. It was in her nature to kick ass first and ask questions later.

 _Remember the dream? THAT's what you really want._

Lois rolled her eyes as she argued with herself. That's not what she really wanted. Was it? Losing herself to little flashes of that dream, with its eerie red glow, skin on skin, lips mashing together urgently, bodies entwined in the throes of...

"Hey lady, get a move on!" yelled the driver of the car behind her, honking his horn and impatient to get a move on since the lights had changed to green.

Lois snapped out of it, blinking the visions away and planting her foot on the gas pedal, taking off amid the screech of tyres. She would be there in minutes.

 _You are SO screwed!_

* * *

The staffers on the City beat were not averse to working weekends, and so Clark found himself sat at his desk on a Sunday morning, typing away on his computer to have his article ready for the Monday morning edition. Another heart-to-heart chat with Shelby had given him an epiphany just as he was pondering all the ways he could make it up to Lois for standing her up and then blowing her off. Shelby had plopped the chew toy Lois and Clark had jointly bought for him for his 'first' birthday down on the floor by Clark's feet. It was one of several chew toys but the only one Lois had had a hand in. It was as if the dog knew that because this particular chew toy was his favourite. Lois of course had feigned indifference amid her latest sneezing fit but she was delighted that the dog loved his new toy. Clark had smiled and gone back to thinking of how to apologise to Lois. It had to be something small but meaningful, and it had to come as a surprise. And no, it could _not_ be a chew toy.

So now having finishing drafting his article, he dragged the cursor to the by-line and added both their names - Lois' name going first. Just like when buying the chew toy, it was a joint effort.

It was while he was making copies that he glanced through the open blinds to see Lois stride into the bullpen. She still had her sunglasses on and he wondered if they were to shield her eyes from the strong morning sun, or to mask something else - disappointment or rejection. Disappointment from being let down by her reporting partner, and rejection for having been blown off for the umpteenth time. He continued to stare through the blinds as Lois removed her sunglasses and made her way to the coffee station for a fill-up. Soon they'd be face to face, separated only by a thin pane of glass. So close and yet so far.

As if sensing that someone was standing behind the glass, Lois looked up. They gazed at one another through the window, each seeing the same thing in one another's eyes. Regret over a lost opportunity. Lois broke her gaze first, reaching for the coffee pot and raising her mug as if to say "Cheers!" while Clark sighed as that familiar feeling of blaming himself for everything came over him. Lois would accept any apology but that was it. He finished making his copies and solemnly stepped back out into the bullpen, deciding a light tone was required as a way into this awkward conversation.

 _Will Lois let me fix this?_

"You missed all the excitement last night."

Lois stepped towards him so they were now standing in the doorway to the copy room. She had a smile on her face which visibly lifted Clark. "If I remember correctly, it wasn't my excitement to have missed, was it?"

Knowing that was a rhetorical question, Clark was ready to apologise because he recognised Lois' way of getting jabs in to mask what she was really feeling. Jor-el's lesson about not taking things at face value had certainly been learned. Clark knew Lois was hurt over the way he'd treated her, and her nonchalant front was exactly that - a front. Lois continued to make her point.

"I was expecting to read about the exploits of Metropolis' journalistic saviour this morning."

To anyone else it would be a case of blink and you'll miss it, but Clark caught it. The unmistakable glint in Lois' eyes that told him things were cool between them. She'd thrown a complimentary barb his way but her eyes and smile revealed that she was only kidding. It helped him to visibly relax. "Well that's the thing. I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew."

She was staring into his eyes and could tell that he was itching to apologise, and she knew that she had no choice but to succumb. She didn't want to be mad at him anyway. Noticing him holding some papers out, Lois asked him what they were.

 _There he goes again with the puppy dog thing. Keep that up Smallville, and I might have to jump you right here in the copy room!_

"It's uh...it's me asking for help," he replied, handing her his article. Right now, he wished he was privy to her thoughts again.

Lois took it from him and began to pore over it, biting her lip as she strove to remove thoughts of a passionate make-out session in the copy room from her mind. She'd been having vivid sex dreams about Clark for weeks that made the idea of just making out seem tame in comparison.

 _Focus Lois, focus._

Clark simply stood and watched her reactions.

 _There she goes again with the lip biting thing. Does she know what effect that has on me?_

The first thing Lois noticed on the page was her name on the by-line. She was so amazed and touched by the gesture that she almost forgot she had good reason to still be mad at Clark for getting stood up. Including her in his story was better than an apology. He was basically admitting that he'd missed having her with him. She'd missed that too.

"I didn't exactly finish my story last night, and I missed the deadline," he confessed.

Look looked up from the page and could see and feel the sincerity on his face and in his words. Though he hadn't said "I'm sorry" in those words, he was still letting her know he felt bad for doing what he did. There was no sarcasm, just the honest truth.

"OK," said Lois softly, agreeing to help him polish his article.

Clark felt relieved as he followed Lois to her desk. She could have torn shreds off him and he would just have to take it on the chin and hope it didn't affect their relationship. He was well aware that this wasn't the first time he'd disappointed her, so she would be well within her rights to think that pursuing anything further was something she was not prepared to put herself through yet again.

"I guess I'm not ready to fly solo just yet," claimed Clark.

 _Stop it Smallville! There's only so much this girl can take when you're laying it on thick like that. I forgive you._

"The sky's a big place," she replied, leaning over her desk to begin making corrections to his article. Clark couldn't help but glance at her ass in that tight skirt as he walked by.

 _All this talk about my 'tushy', and she doesn't realise how great hers is. Man oh man! I wonder if she's wearing a...no! Don't even go there!_

Now as Clark watched Lois liberally circle words and underline others, his eyes caught a glimpse of her cleavage. Not enough to flaunt, but just enough to tantalise, and definitely enough to keep him rapt. Until Lois stopped what she was doing for a second to observe him watching her. Clark quickly averted his eyes back to his article, trying to look every bit like the student eagerly seeking approval from the master. He couldn't hide his little grin though and that made Lois smirk.

 _Don't think I don't know what you were staring at!_

Finally having completed her corrections, she informed him that there was one too many names on there, handing the article back to him.

"I just thought you'd wanna have some creative input," Clark explained, sounding both shy and apologetic.

He didn't see Lois smile and look away bashfully as he knew this was the moment he should apologise for real. Her demeanour had told him all was forgiven, but he still owed her an apology at the very least. He took a deep breath.

"Lois, I _am_ sorry for letting you down."

Her eyes met his, and just as before, she knew he was being genuine and sincere. However, it wouldn't hurt to let him know that such behaviour and excuses would not be tolerated in the future. She wasn't done with giving him another chance at some point but he had to realise that he couldn't mess her about.

"Is this an olive branch? Because there had better be a whole tree somewhere in here...," she began as she moved closer, nodding at the article in his hand. Clark instinctively straightened.

 _Uh oh, here it comes._

Lois carried on, her voice now softening to match the glint in her eyes. Clark couldn't help but notice how the morning light shining through the stained glass window in the bullpen caught her features in a way that made her glow.

"...and maybe a new pair of jeans too. You know it's not every day Lois Lane allows herself to be stood up."

Just by her change of tone, Clark immediately knew that Lois had definitely forgiven him. She was carrying that same air of superiority which permeated their regular bantering. Everything was back to normal. He could properly relax now.

 _Jeans?_

"Well it's a good thing it was only 'like a date'," he retorted, maintaining eye contact, so mesmerised was he by the way it appeared as though her eyes were dancing. Lois was in the middle of her own internal debate as she remained transfixed herself.

 _One of these days, I'm gonna get so lost in those baby blues I might never come back!_

Her heart did a back flip, making her utter a nervous "Uh" and just like that, Clark was on higher ground. He ramped up the flirting.

"I don't even know how someone would get a second date after messing things up like that." The insinuation was not lost on either of them.

 _Over to you, Lane!_

 _Holy Moly, he's asking me out again!_

Lois decided she had to get back on the front foot here, but inside she felt the same buzz of excitement as she had yesterday when sitting in her car after leaving the hospital. The giddy schoolgirl giggle remained locked away for now. She couldn't show him just how excited she was by the prospect.

"Well, _if_ they were to try that again, they might wanna do it on a slower news day," suggested Lois, stepping even closer to Clark and flirting back, before adding in a sultry whisper, "hypothetically speaking."

He was in no doubt as to what Lois was saying. She was completely open to going on a real date. The part about a slower news day was just her way of saying he should have no excuses to back out of it afterwards. He was totally fine with that. "Those don't come along very often."

"No."

"I'm sure people would make sure they get it right next time. Hypothetically speaking of course," Clark replied, throwing her own words back at her.

Lois grinned and nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

The two of them stood in the glow of the light continuing to filter through the stained glass window, shutting out the presence of everybody else in there. They were focussed only on each other as they beamed happily, carrying on their intimate conversation via eye contact.

 _You don't know that I know what you really think of me, Lois. I got a LOT of insight yesterday._

 _I'm gonna hold you to it this time. Better make it worth my while, Smallville._

 _Lois I promise, you aren't gonna know what hit you._

 _Bring it on, Mister!_

Meanwhile, in another corner of the bullpen sat an impartial observer to proceedings. Other staffers were fully aware of the UST coursing between those two desks, and had even started a pool for when one or both finally caved in to the inevitable.

 _Man, those two have got it bad! Such a shame. He's got the cutest tushy this side of the galaxy._

"Psst, hey!" whispered one of the other reporters, nudging her colleague by the elbow to get her attention. She had been viewing the latest instalment of the Lois & Clark Show, noting how they were looking at one another as if they were both ready to jump the other's bones.

"What?" her colleague whispered back.

"I definitely think it will happen by tomorrow. That two hundred and fifty bucks is mine, I'm sure of it."

Her colleague groaned. "I wish they'd just get it on already. I put my name down for last week, but _nothing_. Zilch. Zip. Nada."

"I should email building services. We need some more fire extinguishers down here."

"Er, why?" whispered her colleague, confused.

"Because I swear, if we're not careful, this place will burn right down when it finally happens!"

The next morning, the people of Metropolis would be reading about a bomb being diffused with the wanted so-called Toy Bomber having finally been found and captured. The by-line for the article would read 'Lois Lane & Clark Kent'. For them, another bomb was still ticking and it was only a matter of time before it went off.

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
